Giving women a head start

Shilpa P

For Mysore Education Social Cultural Organisation (MESCO) PU College girls life functioned smoothly despite the lockdown. Girls from economically challenged backgrounds, children of vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers, could continue with their education thanks to Al Mamoor Women’s Charitable Trust.

Al Mamoor gave college students smartphones and assisted them with internet connectivity. They also covered the salaries of the college’s lecturers. All of the Trust’s accomplishments were presented at the trust’s annual general body meeting. The secretary, Salma Subhan, in her report during the annual general body meeting, highlighted the various accomplishments of the association. She thanked contributors like Muneera of Lucky School, Mysuru, who gave Rs 25,000 and Ahmadi, a professor of Chemistry at the University of Mysore, who donated Rs 50,000. The donors were inspired by the achievements of the Al Mamoor Women’s Charitable Trust.

The Al Mamoor Ladies Association was formed in the year 2009 by a group of women to uplift economically downtrodden women in a holistic manner morally, socially and economically. The association is registered under the Society Act, 1960. Later in 2016, it was changed to Al Mamoor Women’s Charitable Trust. The 250 member, non-profit organisation Al Mamoor believes in the philosophy of empowerment of women, through moral and academic education. Salma, wife of the managing director of Sunpure Group, Subhan Khan said that special focus is placed on making women economically self-sufficient. “In this way, we safeguard their fundamental rights. It mainly aims at helping girls from underprivileged backgrounds to get a quality education, at a minimum fee and prepare them to become good citizens of India and to face the challenges of life,” said Salma Subhan.

The MESCO PU College for girls was started four years ago, with six rooms (including two rooms which were sponsored by IOCL) on Maulana Azad Abul Kalam Azad Road in Mysuru. In the past four years, the trust has sponsored the education of students. The provides loans, helps with medical treatment and sponsors school fees. “We have adopted a bottom-up approach by imparting skills to women from economically poor backgrounds, offering tailoring classes that allow them to develop life skills,” said Salama Subhan.

The President, Dr Ulfath Fatima delivered the presidential address and announced their plans to start degree level courses in the next academic year at MESCO college, at land donated by Al Huda Trust at Rajiv Nagar in Mysuru.